Russia’s Su-27 Flanker Fighter Summed Up in 4 Words

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One of the Best: The Su-27 Flanker, developed by the Soviet Union in the late 1970s, emerged as a counter to America’s F-15 and F-16 fighters.

-Designed for air superiority, it features twin AL-31F engines, advanced avionics, and remarkable maneuverability, making it a formidable dogfighter.

-With a speed of Mach 2.0 and a range of 1,620 miles, the Su-27 has served in conflicts worldwide, including the Eritrean-Ethiopian War.

-Variants like the Su-30, Su-33, and Su-35 have modernized its capabilities, with the Su-27SM3 transforming it into a multirole platform.

Su-27 Flanker: The Soviet Warplane That Rivaled America’s Best

Despite its Cold War origins, the Su-27 remains a benchmark in fourth-generation fighter aircraft.

One of Russia’s greatest warplanes ever built, indeed one of the best in the world, is the Su-27 (NATO designation “Flanker”). 

Created by the legendary Sukhoi Design Bureau in the late 1970s and introduced in the 1980s, the Su-27 was meant to counter the development of America’s dominant fourth-generation warplanes, such as the F-14 Tomcat or the F-15 Eagle.

 The Su-27 was known for its impressive range, heavy armaments, and sophisticated avionics (for its time). Its most important feature, though, was its high maneuverability. 

When the Soviets looked over the Iron Curtain in the 1970s, they were astounded to see that the United States was in the throes of a true revolution in military affairs (despite the Soviets assuming that the Americans were on the brink of collapse, between the Vietnam War’s failure, the fallout from the Watergate Crisis, the tumultuous Civil Rights movement, and the energy crises of the era).

America’s fourth-generation warplanes were clearly a serious threat to Soviet airpower and their national defenses. 

Thus, the Reds began feverishly working up new technologies to counteract these astounding American achievements.

The Design

Its design emphasized air superiority, with a focus on long-range combat and dogfighting capabilities. The aircraft features a large delta wing with canards in some variants (there are many. More on that below). 

The Su-27 has twin tailfins and is powered by two AL-31F turbofan engines. 

These attributes give the Su-27 a substantial service ceiling, speed, and agility, making it a formidable adversary in aerial combat. In other words, these birds were meant to break America’s F-15 and F-16 fleet (these American birds are stellar dogfighters, too).

The Su-27, along with its multiple variants, has seen combat in multiple global conflicts for decades. In these various wars, the Su-27s have demonstrated effective air-to-air and air-to-ground attack capabilities. 

And the Su-27s are exported to multiple states as well. For instance, the Su-27 cut quite a swathe in the bloody Eritrean-Ethiopian War early in its existence. 

The Russian Air Force and several export customers have pursued extensive modernization programs to keep the Su-27 “Flanker” relevant against more modern threats

One example is the Su-27SM3, introduced in 2022, which features an entirely new cockpit, enhanced radar, and improved engines, transforming the basic Su-27 into a true multirole platform. Specifically, 80 percent of the equipment on this particular variant has been radically changed from that of its predecessors. 

There are Many Copies of the Su-27

As noted above, multiple variants of this most successful Russian warplane have been created to fill various needs of both the Russian Armed Forces as well as the militaries of other nations. 

Basic Su-27 variants include the Su-27S, Su-27P, the Su-27UB, and the Su-27SK. Sukhoi then went about creating significantly more advanced Su-27 variants. These included the Su-30, the Su-33, the Su-34, the Su-35, and the Su-37.

The Su-33 was to be the variant used aboard what the Soviets were then building as their aircraft carrier fleet. It was too bad for Moscow that the USSR imploded under the weight of its own internal contradictions, and the carrier force never materialized. But the Su-33 did. But, like a bird without its wings, a Su-33 without its carrier is relatively useless. 

Still, the Russians have tried hard to make this system work. Regardless of how poorly the Su-33 has performed, most of the other variants of the Su-27 have done exceptionally well for Russia and other nations over the course of their service. 

Russia’s Su-27 can reach a top speed of Mach 2.0 (or more than 1,500 miles per hour). These planes have a range of 1,620 miles. They carry an impressive suite of weapons as well. Those weapons include the R-73 and R-27 missile systems, unguided bombs and rockets, and one 30mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh 301 cannon. 

In other words, an incredible and record-breaking fourth-generation plane.

About the Author: 

Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior Editor at 19FortyFive.com and a contributor at Popular Mechanics, consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, The American Spectator, and the National Interest. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.